[artinfo] Art Factory International Artist Residence Program in Bialystok, Poland

[Art Factory]

Hello,

I wanted to inform you of an upcoming deadline for Art Factory International
Artist Residence Program in Bialystok, Poland. The deadline to apply for the
summer 2008 program is February 29, 2008. The summer 2008 residence in
Bialystok will begin July 7 and end August 31. Arrival of artists will be
4-6 July. (Of course, there is some flexibility, but this must be arranged
ahead of time.)

Below is some detailed information about the program, as well as the city of
Bialystok.

OBJECTIVE:
Art Factory is dedicated to the international exchange of artists, as well
as facilitate cultural exchange. We aim to provide an opportunity for
creative development in all areas of art in the beautiful city of Bialystok,
Poland and surrounding areas.

DESCRIPTION:
Visiting artists spend 8 weeks working in close contact with other artists
and cultural organizations in Bialystok. Outside of ordinary constraints
such as day jobs, commissions and exhibition deadlines, residencies offer
artists the time, space, and resources to experiment with their work and try
new approaches. The residencies provide artists with an environment that
encourages the exchange of ideas and often instigate experimentation with
new concepts and materials. Residencies are non-prescriptive and
process-based, allowing artists to develop projects in response to their new
environment. Collaborative projects are strongly encouraged.

DURATION: 8 week-long sessions

FACILITIES:
Studio space is provided by THE WORKSHOP, which is located in the center of
Bialystok, nearby the Branicki Palace and Farny Church.

ACCOMMODATION:
Will be provided separately in university dormitories or with a host family.
Artists are responsible for their own meals, materials, and transportation.

EXHIBITION:
All artists will be provided a space to publicly exhibit/present their work
at the end of their stay.

TYPES OF ACCEPTED FIELDS:
Art (performance, multimedia, fiber, craft, painting, drawing, conceptual,
photography, installation, etc.)
Design (fashion, graphic, architecture)
Writing
The residency is open to all professional artists at any level in their
career.

APPLICATIONS (in English or Polish):
Need to include:
-- letter of intent
-- brief resume of professional work
-- visual documentation of recent work (min. 10 slides, CD, DVD, photo,
video, catalogues) or samples of recent writing or current project
(We also accept visual documentation through email in .jpg format or a
website.)
Send to: art.factory.bialystok at gmail.com

CONTACT:
Urszula Humienik
ul. Wyszynskiego 9/77
15-888 Bialystok
Poland

email: art.factory.bialystok at gmail.com
tel. 048 784 780 491




WHAT MAKES ART FACTORY DIFFERENT?
1. location – Bialystok in the Podlasie region, known as the "Green Lungs of
Poland"
2. travel to areas around Podlasie (planned trips: On the trail of
Podlasie's ethnic handcrafts, Biebrzanski National Park, and much more)
3. learn Polish (at least the basics)
4. learn about Polish culture and the history of the region
5. visit many museums and galleries
6. you're not isolated – interact with other artists as well as the artistic
community in Bialystok and the locals



ABOUT BIALYSTOK:

Bialystok, with a population of almost 300 000, is a city located in
north-eastern Poland, serving the function of the capital of Podlaskie
province. It is the administrative, economic, and academic centre of the
region which, due to its exceptional environmental assets, has been termed
the Green Lungs of Poland.

The location in the environmentally clean region, full of tourist
attractions, as well as the rich infrastructure of Bialystok, makes the city
and surrounding area a great place for living, recreation and development of
tourism.

Bialystok has evolved as a place which is the melting pot of different
nations, religions, cultures, customs and traditions, where the occidental
rationalism meets the oriental mysticism. It has become an example of the
integration of ethnic and religious groups, a meeting place for Poles,
Belorussians, Jews, Lithuanians, Germans, Russians, Ukrainians, Romanies,
Muslims and Tatars. The multiethnicity of the city was the reason for the
Bialystok-born Ludwik Zamenhof to start his work on the universal language
of Esperanto.

The location of Bialystok, in the proximity of borders with Belarus,
Lithuania and Russia, as well as the convenient transportation links, create
excellent conditions for developing economic and cultural contacts with the
countries of Eastern and Western Europe.